The Osceola times., 1887-01-29
THE COCOA PLANT.
It's Seeds, Commonly Known as Chocolate
First Used by Spapish Monks.

Its Seeds, Commonly Known as Chocolate,
First Used by spanish Monks.
When Fernando Cortez went to Mex
leo in search of gold, the first discovery
he made was chocolate. This new sub
stance was considered a sort of wicked
luxury, at least for monks, who were
among the earliest TO adopt it, but who
were solemnly warned against its sup
posed peculiar effects.
Chocolate (or. as the Mexicans call
it, chocolalD is the popular name for
the seeds of the cocoa plant, in pre-
pared state, generally with sugar and
cinnamon. The Mexicans improve the
flavor of the inferior sorts of cocoa
seeds by burying them in the earth for
a month and allowing them TO ferment.
The nutritious quality of either cocoa
or chocolate is entirely owing to the
oil or butter of cocoa which it contains.
Cocoa-nibs, the best form of taking this
production, are the seeds roughly
crushed. When the seed is crushed be-
tween rollers, the result is flake cocoa.
Common cocoa is the seed reduced to
a'paste and pressed into cakes. The
cheap kinds of chocolate are said to be
largely adulterated with lard, sago and
red lead-a pernicious mixture for
healthy stomachs; but what must it be
for weak stomachs craving for food at
once nutritious and easy of digestionP
The patent" chocolates are nothing
more than various modes of preparing
the cocoa seeds.
The ladies of Mexico are so exces
sively fond of chocolate that they not
only take it several times during the
day, but they occasionally have it
brought to them in church, and during
the service. A cup of good chocolate
may, indeed, afford the drinker strength
and patience to undergo bad sermon.
The bishops opposed it for time, but
they at length closed their eyes to the
practice. Spain welcomed the gift of
chocolate made her by Mexico with as
much enthusiasm as she did that of
gold by Peru; the metal she soon
squandered, but chocolate is still To be
found in abundance in the Peninsula.
1t is an especial favorite with ladies and
monks. and it always appears on oc-
casions when courtesy requires that re-
freshments should be offered. The
Spanish monks sent pesents to their
brethren in French monasteries; and
Anne, of Austria, on her marriage with
Louis XIII, of France, brought sup
ply of chocolate from Spain, and it
henceforth became an established Gus
tom.
In the days of the Regency it was far
more commonly consumed than coffee,
for it was then taken US an agreeable
aliment, while coffee was still looked
upon as somewhat strange beverage,
but certainly akin to luxury. In the
opinion of Linneus it must have sur
passed all other nutritious prepara-
tons, or that naturalists would hardly
have conferred upon it, as he did, the
proud name of Theobromd-"food for
the gods" The favorite drink of the
Emperor Napoleon was choca, mix
ture of coffee with milk and choco-
late.
Invalids will do well to remember
that chocolate made with vanilla is in
digestible and injurious to the nerves.
Indeed, there are few stomachs at all
that can bear chocolate as a daily meal.
1t is a highly-concentrated aliment,
and all such cease to act nutritiously if
taken into daily use. Housewife.